TIM HUDDLESTON WI NS IRWINDALE
LATE MODEL FEATURE
By Tim Kennedy

IRWINDALE, CA., May 24 – Tim Huddleston, the 2005 and 2007 NASCAR Auto Club Late Model Series track champion, returned to familiar territory--Toyota Speedway at Irwindale victory lane--Saturday evening. It was his first main event triumph since last July 21 when he won his third feature of 2007. The span of 11 races since his last victory has seen the multi-car late model team owner expand his team from five to six cars and develop a new Racecar Factory chassis this season. The Agoura Hills resident and owner of High Point Distributing led all 40-laps from pole position in his Justice Brothers/High Point Distributing No. 50 Chevy Monte Carlo. It was his 34^th feature triumph at Irwindale. All of Huddleston's main event scores have come in the ACLM Division aboard his own blue Chevy. He now ranks fourth best in track history, only two victories behind 2002-03 ACLM champion Todd Burns. Despite another chilly evening in the low 60s, about 3,000 fans turned out to watch three regular TS@I racing series and two special events. A train race had eight two-man “trains” with three cars welded together to form “trains” for a ten-lap race on the watered Figure 8 course. A nine-car demolition derby on the watered and soaped infield “arena” concluded competition at 9:42 pm.

LATE MODELS: In ACLM Series 2008 race six of six, winner Huddleston and his chief rival Nick Joanides started from the first row and ran one-two all 40-laps. Their stated goal was to keep point leader Andrew Myers from winning his series record sixth consecutive ACLM feature at the start of the season. As eighth fastest qualifier Myers, from Huntington Beach, started eighth and finished eighth, ending his winning streak. Myers saw his point lead slip from 52 to 38 points over Joanides (284-246). Huddleston, who had a DNF in race four after losing a wheel, climbed from sixth to fourth in point standings with 222. Huddleston edged Joanides by 0.309 after he repulsed his final lap inside challenge through the third and fourth turns after the two leaders caught the dueling 15^th and 16^th place drivers. Huddleston names all of his team race cars and he said he had not named his May 24 winning car, but he will have to do so now that it is a winner.

ACLM stock car rookie and open wheel formula car veteran Colin Fleming, 23, started and finished third in one of Huddleston's blue team Monte Carlos. It was his second podium finish this season and trailed only his second place on opening night March 22. College student Brian Wong came from fifth to fourth on the initial lap and stayed there all 40-laps. Fourth starter Mike Johnson (third ranked in 2008 series points) placed fifth in his own Chevy. Ryan Partridge, 21, placed sixth in a second Speed Wong Racing Chevy. Daniel DiGiacomo, Myers, 19-year old NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver Lindsey King, and Kevin Callahan completed the top ten. Twenty-one of 24 starters finished and 16 drivers completed all 40 circuits in the 29-minute event.

A 16-minute red flag followed a three-car crash after the first lap. Mid-pack cars of Brian Yeager, Brian Jones and Jennifer Greenberg collided while taking evasive action in traffic. Jones' car climbed over the back of Greenberg's Huddleston-owned No. 56 Chevy and inflicted heavy damage to her car. All three cars came to rest against the front straight wall between turn four and the starting line. Greenberg, a 19-year old Albuquerque, N.M resident, midget racing veteran and ACLM rookie, was stunned and sat in her car. She received attention from track safety personnel before she climbed out and walked to the ambulance for a precautionary medical revaluation in the pit area. Wreckers towed all three damaged cars to the pits.

When the first three finishers came to the press box, Huddleston told media members he is using new chassis technology from Racecar Factory and as a result is required to carry an on-board 50-pound penalty in races. “We've been working on the cars' balance. You have to get all the weight distributed just right on all four tires and tonight we finally got the car balanced. Travis and Jim Thirkettle and Jeff Schrader (Racecar Factory owner) finally hit the magic deal for qualifying. We made a big change.” The winner said his new car is RCF chassis is # 55 and there are three similar cars racing at Irwindale and three more racing at the track in Roseville, CA. Huddleston did not bring his No. 51 car that ACLM rookie Ryan Kaplan,21, had put in fourth place after five races this season. Kaplan raced Saturday night in the “Night Before the Indy 500” USAC National Midget race at Anderson, IN. Kaplan slipped from fourth to seventh in current points.

SUPER STOCKS: Bryan Harrell, the 2006 Vista Paint Super Stock champion, started fifth, took the lead on lap 6 with an inside move at turn four and won his third consecutive 35-lap VPSS main event on the half-mile. He drove his No. 55 Chevy Camaro to fast time honors during 4:00 time trials in an 18-car field. It was his fourth consecutive fast time this season. Harrell, the shop foreman at Racecar Factory in Irwindale, recorded his 21^st Irwindale feature victory (all in the VPSS Division). He moved from second to first in 2008 point standings by four points (188-184) over Greg Crutcher, his closest pursuer Saturday. Crutcher, in a 1975 Camaro, pressured Harrell all the way from the inside groove and fell a mere 0.049 short of victory. Rich DeLong III's 1977 Camaro started from the pole and finished third to tie his season-best result . Larry Cerquettini, the early race leader, drove his 1978 Camaro to fourth position. Gary Read followed as 17 of 18 starters finished (13 drivers on the lead lap) in an 18-minute race with three caution flags.

PURE STOCKS: The 13 BG Products Pure Stocks present ran a pair of main events—a 30-lap race on the third-mile oval and a 12-lap Figure 8 race. Pole starter Tommy Agosta led all the way in the oval track 30- lapper aboard his 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo. He won by half a lap, 9.599 seconds over Ken Michaelian, for his first victory in the series. Chad Kelly started third in a 1979 Olds Cutlass and won his second Pure Stock Figure 8 main this year. It was his fourth triumph in two years of pure stock racing in the former Rick Crow pink winning car. Kelly passed early leader Ken Michaelian's 1975 Dodge Dart on lap 5 and won by ten yards (-1.313) over Michaelian. Harry Michaelian's 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner finished third in the Figure-8 event. Series fastest qualifier Mike Colato, Jr. came from tenth starting slot in his 1976 Chevy Nova to third in the pure stock oval main. Both pure stock features were caution-free with close competition and passing abundant in both races.

TRAINS: The eight “train” race took nine minutes, including a brief red flag to clear the track after am accident. One train of three cars separated at the weld with the driver in the first car continuing in the race momentarily. The driver-less middle car and brakeman-only occupant of the third car along for the ride continued and struck the front straight wall head-on at a reduced speed. The brakeman climbed out unhurt and the solo lead car driver received the black flag for no longer driving a three-car train. Seven of the eight trains finished. The winning No. 46A and 46B “train” had driver Randy Bylsman in the first car and brakeman Kevin Vanpienbrock in the third car. 

DEMOLITION DERBY: The $2,000 nine-car demolition derby result was a first-place tie between past demo derby winner Bill Altfather and Dan Pachella. They pooled first and second place money ($1,500) from a five driver payout and divided the monetary awards in half. Jonathan DeStefano finished third. Brett Blawn and Joe Tambe were fourth and fifth respectively.

Partridge led all the way in the fully inverted start, six-lap ACLM trophy dash for the six fastest qualifiers. The Speed Wong Chevy driver finished in 1:55.823. Hard charger award winners selected by race control officials were Jeff Grill (VPSS), Dave Foster (Pure Stocks oval main), and Travis Motley (ACLM). Motley started 17^th and finished 12^th. Fastest qualifiers speeds were: (PS)--Colato – 68.452 mph; (VPSS)--Harrell – 86.593 mph, and (ACLM)-- Huddleston - 95.623 mph..

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